Robert Wilkinson has a lovely post today on Good and Evil in the birthchart:

Our birth charts show us what cycles we’ve set into motion, and what we’re dealing with. All of us are learning to deal with the results of prior karmas left over from other times, past chapters of our life, as well as other lives, if you accept the concept that we are Eternal Consciousnesses who occasionally dip back into life in physical form here on Earth.

Without getting into a discussion of what constitutes “evil” or how it is manifest, I have known people who could easily be perceived as “evil” because of the deeds they do to others. In my own experience, I believe there is no truth, no honor, no integrity, and no goodwill in what we call evil. Where these are absent, there the seeds of “evil” are permitted to grow. However, I believe that for all of us, our Eternal nature is essentially good. I also believe our reality is designed for the “best” to come forth, if we only do our part. Each absolutely determines their own karmic rewards and punishments, and even something apparently “bad” today may serve to bring forth the skill or insight you need tomorrow.

That does not excuse the abusers, because we’re not supposed to be doing things that generate forms of suffering. It creates a stink in the world, and only contributes to future suffering on the part of the perpetrator. Someone who persists in behaviors that hurt others only destroys themselves through self-generated effects guaranteed to lead to suffering. All hurtful behaviors are a product of fear-based ignorance. I believe people can fall into fear-based delusions, but they can also come out of them if only they release the need to control ourcomes resulting from fear-based delusions.

Those who persistently seek to hurt others, or use separateness to further selfishness and lies are ultimately living a delusion. That part of the suffering will end for us when they leave the body. However, they will take their suffering with them to be resolved on other levels entirely. Until they leave the body, though, I am reminded that “one fool can keep a thousand wise men very busy” indeed.

I have tremendous compassion for people put through difficulty by seemingly evil people using all kinds of nasty attacks and machinations. Eventually, though, one’s need to stay personally involved with the mischiefmaker ends, and they are left with their own ugliness while you are living a life freed from such a one. What is important is to use the time and karma you must stay involved with “evil” people to lift your life into the light.

The evil ones will eventually come to realize the error of their ways, or be removed from this fragile Earth to live out their violent and selfish karma in another bandwidth of reality. Even the Earth can only endure so much pollution (mental and emotional as well!) before its own higher karma dictates it go through its changes, whether we like them or not. Such is the nature of nature whose cycles are unerring.

All that said, I also know that as you cultivate even the least of what is good, true, and beautiful, you further those in your life, and come to know the richness of all the textures of these. So I suppose my belief is that we’re all good, some personalities are severely dysfunctional to the point of being dangerous to others, and that regardless of what seems to be, eventually we will use up our karma with those who are hurtful and can then have relationships that truly bring us joy and fulfillment, leaving the nasties behind, not with hatred or anger, but compassionate indifference.